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Year 9, Issues 11-12

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*The Cup 9.11-9.12 ­ November/December 2004
*The electronic publication of the David Cup, McIlroy and various
*other birding competitions.
* Editor-in-Chief: Jay McGowan
* House Interviewer: Mark Chao
* Highlights: Jay McGowan
* Current Events: Mark Chao & Jay McGowan
* Cup Anagrammist ("Ptarmigan Sumac"?): Mark Chao
* Bird Taste-Tester: Martin McGowan
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Welcome to the 2004 end-of-year edition of The Cup!
In the great tradition of The Cup, this issue came out nowhere near the end of
2004, but that won't stop most of us from enjoying it anyway. Or it wouldn't if
this issue contained a multiplicity of great stories, insightful articles, and
useful information. But it doesn't. Get over it.
It's only the Cup 9.11-9.12.
----------------------------
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< PILGRIMS' PROGRESS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
November, December 2004 David Cup Totals
2004 is over and the winner was Jay McGowan, for the second year in a row.
Scott Haber had an amazing year as well, only two species behind Jay.
1. 256, 256 JAY MCGOWAN
2. 251, 254 Scott Haber
3. 246, 247 Kevin McGowan
4. 241, 246 Mark Chao
5. 241, 243 Steve Fast
6. 234, 236 Meena Haribal
7. 234, 235 Ken Rosenberg
8. ---, 233 Mike Andersen
9. ---, 232+Bruce Tracey
10. ---, 230 Bard Prentiss
11. 227, 229 Jesse Ellis
12. 215, 215 Chris Tessaglia-Hymes
13. 211, 214 Lena Samsonenko
14. 211, 212 Mike Harvey
207, 212 Tim Lenz
16. 209, 209 Anne Marie Johnson
208, 209 Perri McGowan
18. 191, 191 Pete Hosner
19. 187, 188 Erin Hewett
20. 187, 187 Matt Medler
21. 157, 157 Mindy LaBranche
22. ---, 148 Rachel Rosenberg
---, 148 Olivia Rosenberg
23. ---, 121 Rafael Lizarralde
121, 121 Tringa (the Dog) McGowan
24. 96, 96 Martin (the Cat) McGowan
25. ---, 7 Matt Williams
November, December 2004 McIlroy Award (Ithaca) Totals
Ken had an easy win in Ithaca this year, but still with a great total.
209, 209 KEN ROSENBERG
172, 176 Tim Lenz
173, 175 Mark Chao
162, 164 Jay McGowan
150, 151 Kevin McGowan
147, 147 Jeff Gerbracht
November, December 2004 Evans Trophy (Dryden) Totals
Jay McGowan triumphed again in Dryden, with a record-breaking total(the
previous high year in Dryden was 206 species, set by Ken Rosenberg in 1997.)
211, 212 JAY MCGOWAN
192, 193 Kevin McGowan
185, 185 Steve Fast
177, 177 Bard Prentiss
148, 150 Perri McGowan
November, December 2004 Yard Totals
---, 141 STEVE KELLING, CAROLINE
124, 124 McGowan/Kline Family, Dryden
124, --- John Fitzpatrick, Ellis Hollow
107, 112 Pixie Senesac
77, 77 Anne Marie Johnson, Caroline
November, December 2004 Lansing Competition Totals
The Town of Lansing is potentially the equal of Dryden or Ithaca but is not
birded as extensively. This year (for the first time ever) an actual trophy was
awarded, so perhaps we can get some more competition in this town in 2005.
Mark Chao posted an impressive total for 2004 and took home the trophy.
177, 180 MARK CHAO
---, 169 Kevin McGowan
144+,144+Bruce Tracey
---------------------------------------------
CAYUGA LAKE BASIN LIFE LISTS (AS OF DECEMBER 2004)
As in 2003, at the end of the year I asked everyone to send me their total for
species seen in the Basin in their lifetime. Not everyone sent me updated
numbers, so some of these totals may be slightly outdated.
299 Kevin McGowan
298 Jay McGowan
297 Meena Haribal
295 Andrew Farnsworth
294+Ken Rosenberg
288 Steve Kelling
285 Pete Hosner
284 Matt Medler
283 Jeff Wells
281 Karl David
280 Allison Wells
280 Geo Kloppel
279 Bill Evans
278 Chris Tessaglia-Hymes
278 Bard Prentiss
275 Tom Nix
275 Matt Young
272 Mike Andersen
271 Ned Brinkley
267 Jesse Ellis
267 Tim Lenz
267 Matt Sarver
266 Ryan Bakelaar
266 Bruce Tracey
264 Matt Williams
257 Mark Chao
257 Anne Marie Johnson
257 Bob Fogg
252 Jeff Gerbracht
245 Dan Lebbin
214 Mike Harvey
121 Rafael Lizarralde
---------------------------------------------
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
BASIN COMPOSITE DEPOSIT
And the final total is...271, the same as in 2003!
Here's the total list:
Mute Swan, Tundra Swan, Canada Goose, CACKLING GOOSE, Brant, GREATER WHITE-
FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS'S GOOSE, Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Am. Black Duck,
Gadwall, N. Pintail, Am. Wigeon, EURASIAN WIGEON, N. Shoveler, B-w Teal, G-w
Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, R-n Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, L-t Duck,
Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, W-w Scoter, C. Goldeneye, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE,
Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, C. Merganser, R-b Merganser, Ruddy Duck, R-n
Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, R-t Loon, PACIFIC LOON, C. Loon, P-b
Grebe, Horned Grebe, R-n Grebe, EARED GREBE, D-c Cormorant, Am. Bittern, Least
Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, SNOWY EGRET, TRICOLORED HERON, CATTLE
EGRET, Green Heron, B-c Night-Heron, GLOSSY IBIS, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald
Eagle, N. Harrier, S-s Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, N. Goshawk, R-s Hawk, B-w Hawk, R-t
Hawk, R-l Hawk, Golden Eagle, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, C. Moorhen,
Am. Coot, Virginia Rail, Sora, YELLOW RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE, B-b Plover, Am.
Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser
Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, WILLET, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper,
WHIMBREL, Hudsonian Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, RED KNOT, Sanderling, Dunlin,
Pectoral Sandpiper, W-r Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, WESTERN SANDPIPER,
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, RUFF, L-b Dowitcher,
S-b Dowitcher, B-b Sandpiper, Am. Woodcock, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope,
R-n Phalarope, PARASITIC JAEGER, Bonaparte's Gull, R-b Gull, Herring Gull,
Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Lesser B-b Gull, Great B-b Gull, Caspian Tern, C.
Tern, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, BLACK GUILLEMOT, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon,
Y-b Cuckoo, B-b Cuckoo, L-e Owl, S-e Owl, Great Horned Owl, SNOWY OWL, Barred
Owl, N. S-w Owl, E. Screech-Owl, C. Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, R-t Hummingbird,
Belted Kingfisher, R-h Woodpecker, R-b Woodpecker, Y-b Sapsucker, Downy
Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Olive-sided
Flycatcher, E. Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Y-b Flycatcher, Willow
Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested
Flycatcher, E. Kingbird, N. Shrike, R-e Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia
Vireo, WHITE-EYED VIREO, Y-t Vireo, B-h Vireo, Blue Jay, C. Raven, Am. Crow,
Fish Crow, Horned Lark, Purple Martin, N. R-w Swallow, Bank Swallow, Tree
Swallow, Cliff Swallow, CAVE SWALLOW, Barn Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, B-c
Chickadee, R-b Nuthatch, W-b Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Carolina Wren, House Wren,
Winter Wren, SEDGE WREN, Marsh Wren, G-c Kinglet, R-c Kinglet, B-g Gnatcatcher,
E. Bluebird, Am. Robin, Wood Thrush, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, G-c Thrush,
Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, N. Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling,
Am. Pipit, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Cedar Waxwing, N. Parula, O-c Warbler, Tennessee
Warbler, B-w Warbler, G-w Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, C-s
Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, B-t Blue Warbler, Cerulean
Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Y-r Warbler, B-t Green Warbler, Prairie Warbler,
Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, B-b Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, W-e Warbler, B-&-w
Warbler, Am. Redstart, Ovenbird, N. Waterthrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Mourning
Warbler, C. Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hooded Warbler,
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, Scarlet Tanager, N. Cardinal, R-b Grosbeak, Indigo
Bunting, DICKCISSEL, E. Towhee, Am. Tree Sparrow, Field Sparrow, CLAY-COLORED
SPARROW, Chipping Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW,
Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, W-t Sparrow, W-c Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, D-e Junco, Lapland Longspur, Snow
Bunting, E. Meadowlark, Bobolink, B-h Cowbird, R-w Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird,
C. Grackle, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch,
House Finch, Red Crossbill, W-w Crossbill, C. Redpoll, HOARY REDPOLL, Pine
Siskin, Am. Goldfinch, House Sparrow.
Final Total: 271
ALSO SEEN BUT NOT COUNTABLE: Trumpeter Swan, Northern Bobwhite
NOTABLE (BUT NOT COUNTABLE AS A SEPARATE SPECIES) SUBSPECIES:
"Eurasian" Green-winged Teal, "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler,"Oregon" Dark-
eyed Junco
WINNER (Jay McGowan) MISS LIST
EURASIAN WIGEON, PACIFIC LOON, SNOWY EGRET, TRICOLORED HERON, YELLOW RAIL,
WILLET, RUFF, PARASITIC JAEGER, Long-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, WHITE-
EYED VIREO, SEDGE WREN, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Cape May Warbler, White-winged
Crossbill.
RUNNER-UP (Scott Haber) MISS LIST
Greater White-fronted Goose, PACIFIC LOON, EARED GREBE, YELLOW RAIL, WILLET,
WHIMBREL, RED KNOT, RUFF, PARASITIC JAEGER, WHITE-EYED VIREO, CAVE SWALLOW,
SEDGE WREN, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Worm-eating Warbler, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, Red
Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
---------------------------------------------
CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP/CUP
Cupper Supper Review
by Mark Chao
SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP\SUP
This year's Cupper Supper was held against a backdrop of falling snow at the
McGowan/Kline residence on Beam Hill. It was a quiet affair, with many notable
absences because of illness and recent moves. We missed everyone who couldn't
make it.
Still, of course, we had a great time. As always, the gathering offered fine
food, lively conversation, and glimpses of Cupper personalities and talents not
always evident out in the field. As if it were right here in front of me now,
I can still smell and taste the food that Meena brought, a Gujarati dish called
dhoklas -- steamed dal cakes served with spiced oil, coconut, and chutney.
Kevin enlightened Cup novices about Dick Evans, a longtime Cayuga Bird Club
leader and local birding legend, in whose honor the Evans Trophy is named. And
Tim Lenz played some Liszt at the piano. It was only a few measures, idly
tossed off, but enough to make it clear -- the man can really play.
Aside from our long-awaited review of totals for the David Cup and associated
competitions, we conducted surveys for additional awards. See below. The
evening ended with a slideshow of Jay and Kevin's bird images, culled from
images of 230+ species photographed in the Basin in 2004.
Thanks to Kevin, Kim, Jay, and Perri for opening their home for the supper!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Cupper Supper also hosted some great foosball matches; Jay
McGowan took on Peruvian foosball champion Dan Lebbin. Each competitor won one
game, but before a tie-breaker could be initiated, dinner was announced and
foosball abandoned.]
-------------------
CUPPER SURVEY AWARDS!
Compiled by Jay McGowan
Cupper Supper attendees got to vote on the recipient s of many classic awards.
Here are the winners in each category:
BIRD OF THE YEAR - BLACK GUILLEMOT won easily with 8 votes. Buff-breasted
Sandpiper received 2 votes, and Cave Swallow and Hoary Redpoll each got 1.
BIRDER OF THE YEAR - JAY MCGOWAN won with 7 votes. Mark Chao came in second
with 4 and Scott Haber lagged behind with only 2.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - MIKE HARVEY won easily with 12 votes, with Tim Lenz
[Reloaded] receiving only 2 votes.
MOST LIKELY TO WIN THE 2005 DAVID CUP - TIM LENZ won with 5 votes, with Bob
McGuire, Jay McGowan, and Scott Haber each receiving 3 votes.
MOST LIKELY TO WIN THE 2005 MCILROY AWARD - TIM LENZ won this category as well
(with 7 votes.) Ken Rosenberg received 4, and Mark Chao 3.
MOST LIKELY TO WIN THE 2005 EVANS TROPHY - JAY MCGOWAN won with 6 votes,
followed by Kevin McGowan with 4 votes, Steve Fast with 3, and Tringa McGowan
with 1 (now how is she going to manage that, I ask you?)
THOREAU AWARD - "For the most eloquent, interesting, or best-written posts."
MARK CHAO cleaned up this category with 9 votes. Steve Fast received 4, and
someone also voted for "none of the above." Mark's prize was a small notebook
with a penguin on the cover on which to jot down witty thoughts when he is not
near a computer.
FAMILY TIME AWARD - "For the Cupper or Cuppers who didn't let birding get in the
way of family...and vice versa." MARK CHAO won again, this time with 6 votes.
Ken Rosenberg came in second with 3, followed by The McGowans with 2, and
Allison and Jeff Wells, Steve Fast, and Meena (huh?), each with 1. The prize
was a bottle of cosmic glue, ostensibly "to keep the family together."
BEST CUPPER SPORT - For the Cupper or former Cupper who puts up with the most
from his or her birding companion(s); who sits in the biggest shadow and keeps
on Cupping." A new category this year. SUSIE FAST won with 8 votes, beating
Perri McGowan with 5. Miyoko Chu also received one vote. Susie's prize was an
artificial rock with the word "PATIENCE" inscribed on it in large, friendly
letters.
QUICK DRAW AWARD FOR FASTEST POSTING - This was a write-in category, so voting
was more varied than in other categories. 1 vote each was tallied for Ken
Rosenberg, Jay McGowan, Steve Fast, Meena Haribal, Kevin McGowan, and Bob
McGuire. Tim Lenz received 2, and Scott Haber received 3. However, there was
also one vote cast for "not Scott Haber." Although this had the potential to
end in a nasty brawl, with Scott and Tim both claiming the title, the editor
stepped in at this point and arbitrated that the award go to Scott. His prize
was an interesting egg timer that apparently only times 20 seconds at a time.
It is hoped that this will motivate Scott for even faster posting.
ROSENBERG AWARD FOR SLOWEST POSTING Again the results were diverse. Tim Lenz,
Jay McGowan, Steve Kelling, and Tringa McGowan all received 1 vote. The result
was a tie between KEN ROSENBERG (because we like to tease him) and ALLISON
WELLS(presumably for her very late Western Sandpiper post), each with 4 votes.
No prize was given because they didn't deserve one.
-------------
Finally, a few EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARDS were given:
THE MICHELEN AWARD FOR RESTAURANT REVIEW went to Steve Fast for his numerous
reports on local eateries. Steve's prize was a refrigerator magnet in the shape
of a cheeseburger, which Steve immediately began to take apart and critique.
"Smell's like plastic," was his only comment.
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - For consistent totals throughout the lifespan
of the David Cup competition. I summed the final totals of several Cuppers who
have participated every year since 1996. Easily the highest was KEVIN MCGOWAN,
with a total of 2160 species over the nine years for an average of 240 species.
Jay McGowan placed second 2150 species, and Ken Rosenberg came in third with
2113. Just for posterity's sake, I will list the other people who have
participated every year: Bard Prentiss, Meena Haribal, and Matt Medler. Steve
Kelling, Allison and Jeff Wells, and Chris Tessaglia-Hymes have missed only
one or two years. Kevin's prize was a cube of glass with a design inside--
signifying consistency, no doubt.
!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2004 BASIN HIGHLIGHTS
by Jay McGowan
!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!
-NOVEMBER-
"No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease.
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, November!"
- Thomas Hood, November
Well, this November wasn't quite as bad as all that. A few rare birds here and
there brightened up the otherwise fairly dull time of year. The Audubon's
Yellow-rumped Warbler found on September 30 was present at Stewart Park on
October 1 and 2, but was not seen subsequently. The Black Guillemot continued
to be seen in Aurora Bay until at least November 14th, with a possible sighting
on the 26th. Also, the juvenile Hudsonian Godwit was seen at Montezuma until
the 3rd.
Winter finches were hard to find, but a COMMON REDPOLL showed up at a feeder in
Ellis Hollow on November 12. Pine Siskins were seen at a few feeders
throughout November and December. Evening Grosbeaks were seen in a few
scattered locations around the Basin, and a male RED CROSSBILL was seen at
Summerhill on November 16. Northern Shrikes were seen in many locations
throughout November and December.
A SNOWY OWL was found by Doug Pippen on the Main Pool at Montezuma NWR. Later
in the day Tim Lenz and Mike Harvey found another Snow Owl at Tschache Pool.
At least one of the owls remained until November 15th. Despite this promising
beginning to Snowy Owl season, no other Snowies were reported in 2004.
An immature male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen on Culver Road south of Ithaca
on November 14 and 15. On November 21, Jesse Ellis, Thorsten Balsby, and Anya
Illes found an interesting GOLDEN-PLOVER at Benning Marsh, Montezuma. They were
unable to get good enough looks to rule out Pacific, and the bird was not
relocated.
On November 24, Roger Sleeper discovered 3 CAVE SWALLOWS flying around near
shore at Stewart Park. These Basin firsts were very cooperative and allowed
good views (if not stunning pictures) as they hunted for insects in the rain.
They were not seen the following day.
A LONG-EARED OWL was reported flying across the road at night on Sapsucker Woods
Road on November 30.
-DECEMBER-
A probable CACKLING GOOSE was found on the lawn at Stewart Park on December 7.
After being absent from the area most of last winter, Short-eared Owls have
returned to the Rafferty Road area on the east side of Cayuga Lake. Multiple
individuals were seen there at dusk by many observers in mid- and late
December.
Other raptors also returned to their winter haunts. The Peregrine Falcon
returned to its roost on Bradfield Tower, and a Red-shouldered Hawk once again
took up residence in the Sapsucker Woods area.
The Aurora Bay EARED GREBE was seen again on December 22. Two days later
on December 24 Mark Chao and Tim Lenz found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in
Aurora Bay.
---------------------------------------------
----------------------------------
A MAN RAGS...ANAGRAMS
by Mark Chao
----------------------------------
A recent string of Basin bird sightings has led me to startling and delightful
finds of a different sort -- Cup-related anagrams from people's names.
An anagram is a set of words made from the letters of another set of words.
They are easy and fun to construct. Just mix letters and try to find apt word
combinations. It helps to stack letters in a pyramid, like this:
S
C O
T T H
A B E R
The multidirectional juxtapositions make words just leap out at you, don't they?
(And come to think of it, do cats bother Scott Haber?)
Alas, I have so far found it impossible to cook up any good anagrams for Jesse
Ellis. Too many repeated letters, plus a stubborn J, have stuck me with sea-
babble like "ESS JELLIES." I am also somewhat stumped by Bruce Tracey, whom the
fashionistas may exhort to "BE RACY, CUTER", but whose name somehow resists
transformation into Cup-themed words. And I have a potentially good one for Cup
giant Matt Medler, but that one will have to wait for another time (no, it's
not "WHELMED MATTER").
So here are my Cup anagrams for you. I've added explanatory comments where
needed. Enjoy!
MICHAEL ANDERSEN ===> N.E. LARIDAE MENSCH
ERIC BANFORD ===> CORE BIRD FAN
MELANIE DRISCOLL ===> IDEAL CLO MERLINS
STEVE FAST ===> SEES FAT TV
(or it might be a Golden Eagle...)
BOB FOGG ===> OOF! GBBG.
(Said, perhaps, after hoping for a Slaty-backed or Western Gull.)
SCOTT HABER ===> SCOTER BATH
(This rather silly little Cup anagram is the one that started them all. Scott's
name also morphs into BEST HOT CAR, which is probably accurate, if you're
comparing Scott's Jeep with other Cornell students' vehicles.)
MEENA HARIBAL ===>AM HERE, IN A LAB
O, MEENA HARIBAL ===> A REAL BOHEMIAN
(I came up with the latter on the day Meena found a BoWax flock on campus
in Feb 05.)
MICHAEL GASTON HARVEY ===> HAVE CLAIM ON THAYER'S G.
(I devised this after MGH's documenting a possible Thayer's Gull in
Seneca Falls in Feb 05.)
ERIN HEWETT ===> I WENT THERE
(This anagram, though tidy, seemed too vague. Erin's name seemed to hold
better potential. Inherent there are some bird names, but without enough
remaining letters to make a nice complete thought. So I thought a little
harder...)
ERIN L. HEWETT x 4 ===> THE WILLET, THE WEE LITTLE WINTER WREN INHERENT THERE
PETE HOSNER ===> PHONE TREES
(This is how Pete found out about the Nov 02 Black-legged Kittiwake on Dryden
Lake, I hear.)
ANNE MARIE AND TIM JOHNSON ===> MAN'S INNER MOJO: ANATID HEN.
(This one took a lot of work. Can you tell?)
DANIEL LEBBIN ===> DABBLE IN LINE
(Speaking of anatids...)
TIMOTHY COLIN LENZ ===> MYTHIC ZEN LOON LIT
(Note that "lit" means "alighted." If ever this were to happen in the
Basin, Tim would probably be the one to witness it.)
KEVIN MCGOWAN ===> K. CAN MOVE WING
(But he can't fly.)
JAY MCGOWAN ==> A CAGY J.M. WON
(This is the story of the David Cup from the last two years. It is a bit of a
cop-out to use Jay's initials in this anagram, as with Kevin's above, but that's
the best I could do with the name, which is packed with unblendable consonants,
including a J.)
PERRI MCGOWAN ===> MEN GRIP A CROW
(Kevin, is this intentional?)
BOB MCGUIRE ===> ICGU MOBBER
(Bob is leading a CBC field trip to Seneca Falls in March 05.)
BARD PRENTISS ===> REST, BIRDS, NAP.
(Any Cupper's ideal day.)
KENNETH ROSENBERG ===> B-T GREEN. KENN'S HERO.
LENA SAMSONENKO ===> MEN SANE? ASK LOON.
(It's a valid question. Maybe the mythic Zen loon has an answer...)
CHRIS TESSAGLIA-HYMES ===> LIST SCHEMES! I SAY, ARGH!!!
(Cayugabirds-L czar getting frustrated with reply-to-sender controversy?)
ALLISON WELLS ===> ALL IS SWELL, NO?
(Not really bird-related, but still fun and fitting, I think.)
JEFFREY VANCE WELLS ===> NEW JERSEY ACFL, VEFL
(In case you don't get it -- the FLs are flycatchers. Nice WSB finds.)
plus...
MARK CHAO ==> CHARM A-OK
[EDITOR'S NOTE: It has come to my attention that "Jesse Mathias Ellis" can be
rearranged to spell, "I JEST: I AM SEASHELLS." Also, if you use Mark's middle
name it is possible to form "CH. POSH ANAGRAM KING," perhaps a fitting title.
Chao, Mark!]
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! KICKIN' TAIL! !
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cup Interviewer Mark Chao has a quick chat with 2004 David Cup champion Jay
McGowan.
THE CUP: Congratulations on your win, with the second-highest winning total in
Cup history!
JAY: Thanks!
THE CUP: Tell us about your frame of mind over the last two months of the
year, as you worked to maintain your lead over Scott.
JAY: I must admit that Scott's proximity in the standings influenced my birding
zeal, though it didn't actually help me gain any species near the end of the
year. My last three species (Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, and Cave Swallow) I
think I still would have gotten even if I had not been in such a close race.
THE CUP: How would you rank the following as factors in your victory -- will,
skill, experience, flexibility with time, mobility, luck?
JAY: They are all very important of course...I guess if I have to rank them,
offhand I would say: flexibility, luck, will, mobility, skill, experience. I
think flexibility with time is very important for a successful big year, and I
certainly had it to some degree last year, since I didn't have classes every
day. Almost any aspect of birding can be attributed to luck (sometimes it's
just more obvious than other times--I'm thinking of some of Pete's 2002
experiences here.) I think I had my share of luck in 2004, though it didn't
always feel like it. Will is very necessary, and luckily my birding passion
supplies my will with or without competition. Mobility is also an important
factor, and one that I gained from 2003, when I did not have my driver's
license. As for skill and experience, while they both play a central role in
the competition, aren't always the most important things. That's just my
feeling at the moment. If I think about it longer I will probably change my
mind.
THE CUP: You have joined Matt Young as the second back-to-back David Cup winner
in the history of the competition. Do you have the will to go for an
unprecedented "three-peat"?
JAY: It's possible, but I have a feeling someone else will have the spirit to
take the lead this year. Still, I will be around, so don't rule me out. I'm
getting off to a slow start in 2005, but we'll see how things go in the spring.
If not this year, perhaps later. Three back-to-back wins would be nice...
THE CUP: Can you size up the competition? Who, in your mind, are this year's
contenders, and what do they bring to the table?
JAY: Tim Lenz was voted most likely to win this year, and I think he could
certainly do it if he has the determination. Bob McGuire is off to a roaring
start, and he may keep it up throughout the year, even though this is his first
year in the David Cup. Scott Haber is always a possibility; he might feel like
a comeback after his narrow loss last year. Mike Andersen is also a
possibility. He seems to be getting out a lot so far this year.
THE CUP: Last year you also smashed the all-time Evans Trophy total, for the
town of Dryden. How does that achievement measure up to your Cup wins?
JAY: Well, nothing beats winning the David Cup, but a Dryden record is
exhilarating. My total also ties the highest ever town list (set by Tim Lenz in
Ithaca last year.)
THE CUP: What were your best Dryden finds? And what were the highlights of
your Basin year on the whole?
JAY: The highlights of my Basin year of course included the rarities. The
guillemot and the Cave Swallows were great, and also enjoyed the two sets of
Red Knots. The Whimbrel was new for my Basin list as well. I had a lot of good
birds in Dryden this year, really too many to enumerate--but I'm going to
anyway. In addition the major rarities that turned up in Dryden (Cattle Egret,
Cackling Goose, Common Teal, Wilson's Phalarope, Red-headed Woodpecker,
Dickcissel, Hoary Redpoll), I saw quite a few birds that are uncommon in
Dryden. In case you were wondering, these included Tundra Swan, Brant,
American Bittern, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Sora, Black-bellied Plover,
American Golden-Plover, White-rumped and Baird's sandpipers, Long-billed and
Short-billed dowitchers, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern, Olive-sided
Flycatcher, all five eastern empidonax (including Acadian), Cliff Swallow, and
Orange-crowned Warbler, among others. The list of my Dryden misses contains
only a couple of seemingly reliable species and comprises mostly more difficult
birds. Some of the possibilities that I failed to see include Black Scoter,
Red-necked Grebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Glaucous Gull, Marsh
Wren, Lapland Longspur, Orchard Oriole, and Evening Grosbeak. Canvasback and
Redhead are both super-rare in Dryden, so I'm not surprised at missing those.
Other than that, aside from a few incidental sightings of other Dryden
accidentals (Western Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone), I really didn't miss that
much. The George Road wetlands contributed a lot to my high total. 17 species
of shorebird is hard to beat. This hotspot more than made up for a mediocre
Dryden Lake year. Oh, did you have more non-Dryden-related questions? I'm
sorry, go on.
THE CUP: It's OK. We like hearing about birds. Did you witness any especially
interesting, unusual, or previously-unseen bird behavior?
JAY: We had an interesting day in April watching gulls play with various balls.
A Herring and a Great Black-blacked on the dock at Stewart Park taking turns
with several tennis balls in various states of decay. The black-backed would
even bounce the balls on the dock and then retrieve them from the water when
they rolled off. The same day we saw a Herring Gull with another worn tennis
ball at Myers Point. It just stood with the ball in its bill.
THE CUP: Get any outstanding photos that you want to brag about?
JAY: I managed to get some really nice shots of redpolls, Common and Hoary,
this past winter. I had a rather poor year with warblers, though; I didn't try
as hard to get shots of them as in past years. Let's see, what else...Kevin
got some beautiful shots of the Dickcissel in June. We both got identifiable
Cave Swallow photos too; they're not great pictures, but still a bit impressive
given the situation. I managed to get some rather nice Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Sparrow shots from the south end of the lake; we have had trouble photographing
this species in the past, but these were more cooperative than past ones.
THE CUP: Remind us -- how old are you?
JAY: Eighteen as of last July.
THE CUP: And at what age did you first participate in the David Cup?
JAY: I have participated in the David Cup every year since its inception in
1996, when I was nine and a half. I saw 224 species the first year.
THE CUP: Now you no longer stand alone as the kid among adults in our birding
community. But you must have a pretty firm hold on the record for greatest
proportion of one's life spent looking for birds in the Basin. (I wonder who's
second -- maybe Matt Medler or Chris Tessaglia-Hymes?)
JAY: I expect so...a quick calculation shows that I have spent 48.64% of my
life (as of December 31, 2004) actually participating in the David Cup, and
that's not counting the time when I was birding in the Basin before the Cup
started. In fact, on July 2nd, 2005, I will have spent exactly *half* my life
in the David Cup. I should have a party or something.
THE CUP: Party at Jay's house!! Mark your calendars...
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2004 DAVID CUP WORD SEARCH
Once again I have constructed and attached a word search for any of you
who enjoy that kind of thing. It has the names of most of the rarities
that showed up in 2004 hidden horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.
---------------------------------------------
"CUP...QUOTES"
Today's exploration of Ithaca's new 'big box' stores showed me only one exciting
item: a Belted Kingfisher sitting on a wire beside the new inlet bridge near
Lowe's. I thought he should have migrated by now? But perhaps the bright
lights and hot deals persuaded him it would stay warm there.
--Nancy Dickinson
I'm getting very tired of scanning through hundreds of Canada Geese trying to
hallucinate a tiny one.
--Ken Rosenberg
Linen, towel laundry
--Scott Haber
Sorry for the previous blank email to the list. When I'm trying to type
reminders to myself while trying to finish up homework at 4AM, odd things
show up in the "To:" field.
--Scott Haber
Amid all this lexicographic exploration, another interesting fact occurred to
me: "Scott Haber" is an anagram for "Scoter Bath." Scott, is this intentional?
--Mark Chao
Goody! Back-to-back Redpoll years.
--Chris Tessaglia-Hymes
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May Your Cup Runneth Over,
- Jay